P1 Industries

Influencers…Do We Even Need Them?? Let’s play a game Imagine a world without manufacturing You wake up in the morning…on dirt. Because there’s no mattress. Or bed frame. Or pillow. Your alarm didn’t go off, because it was never made. No light switches. No toilet. No sink. No coffee. No clothes. Just you, naked, in a field For decades, this industry has been treated like that one friend who helps everyone move but never gets invited to the party. No one noticed. No one talked about it. No documentaries. No YouTube pages. Just silent, vital excellence happening behind garage doors and barbed-wire fences in industrial parks across the country And at the center of that thankless storm, The machinists The men and women who show up every day at 6am, run parts that hit tolerances tighter than your childhood jeans These people make civilization, Literally But guess what? The world didn’t care Enrollment in trade schools dropped. Parents steered kids away from “those kinds of jobs.” Government funding dried up like a coolant tank in July. And meanwhile, shops were screaming “We need people!” Then the influencers arrived These modern-day manufacturing missionaries didn’t show up to steal the spotlight. They showed up because there never was one When the influencers showed up, so did the eyeballs. Young ones. Curious ones. People who didn’t know what a spindle was but suddenly wanted to learn. Careers were inspired. Schools began rebuilding programs Meanwhile, the haters in the corner muttered, “We don’t need influencers in our industry.” Oh really? Because the 20-year labor shortage seems to disagree. The 40-year PR problem thinks otherwise. And all those open positions on your shop floor? They’d like a word. You think this industry magically runs itself? No. It runs on machinists. But machinists can’t keep showing up if no one knows this career exists That’s where the thought leaders and content creators come in They’re putting the spotlight where it belongs: on the heroes who live in the machine shops Now? Kids want to be like you again And not because of some government pamphlet, but because they saw someone running a 5-axis on YouTube and thought, “That’s badass.” The influencer isn’t just someone who takes selfies in a factory. They’re a translator, turning G-code into English. They’re a bridge, between the shop floor and the mainstream. They’re the flashlight in the dark basement of national relevance. And whether you like it or not, they’re the reason anyone is talking about manufacturing at all To all the manufacturing influencers and thought leaders out there, thank you Thank you for picking up your phones, turning on your cameras, and using your voices to amplify the ones that never asked for recognition but always deserved it So here’s a special shoutout to MTDCNC, TITANS of CNC MACHINING, Ian Sandusky, EBITDA Growth Systems, Jim Carr, Drew Crowe, Shannon N., and all the other amazing people pushing the trades!

Brian Wickham sits for a short discussion about the HVCC Advanced Manufacturing Technology program at Hudson Valley Community College. He discusses what the program is about, what students can expect, and some of his own experiences in the field. Mentioned, and seen in the video are several partners of the program, including Mastercam, Allendale Machinery Systems, ZEISS Group and Haas Machine Tools Inc. #CNC #Machining #STEM #Skilledtrades

Be Proud Your Kid Chose the Trades… Let’s talk about something that parents across the world grapple with… College vs. Career The moment your kid tells you, “I think I want to be a machinist,” or “I’m thinking about going into welding instead of university,” you pause. Not because you’re disappointed, but because society trained you to believe that college was the only respectable way forward. That university degree was the golden ticket to success. But times have changed, and it’s time we changed with them. Choosing a skilled trade isn’t a fallback plan. It’s a strategic, financially savvy, and emotionally rewarding path, one that’s building the very foundation of modern civilization. That CNC machinist, that welder, that electrician, plumber, or automation technician, they’re the ones holding your country together. They’re the ones making sure there’s clean water in your tap, cars on your roads, electricity in your home, and products on your shelves. College is not for everyone, and that’s not a dig, it’s a fact. University is often a debt trap, sending our youth into the world with a diploma in one hand and $100,000 in debt in the other, praying a job exists that actually requires the degree they paid for. Meanwhile, trade school grads are out there, two years in, zero debt, making $60K+ with overtime, benefits, and no cubicles in sight. Some go on to start their own businesses, lead teams, invent new tech, or even run multi-million-dollar manufacturing facilities. Still think this is the “plan B” path? The idea that the trades are for those who “can’t make it” in college is outdated, elitist, and flat-out wrong. It takes brains, discipline, creativity, and drive to run a lathe, program a CNC machine, build an HVAC system, or wire a control panel. These careers demand real-world problem solving and continuous education. It’s lifelong learning, just without the crushing student loans and endless lectures. So to the parents reading this, be proud. Your child isn’t “settling.” They’re choosing purpose over prestige. Skill over status. Real work over hollow titles. They’re not wasting four years and tens of thousands of dollars trying to impress anyone—they’re out there building something real, tangible, and essential. And here’s the best part…they’re happy. Tradespeople often report higher job satisfaction than their white-collar counterparts. Why? Because they create, they solve, they build, they fix, and they go home knowing they made something better than it was when they found it. So next time someone asks what your kid does and you say, “She’s a CNC machinist,” or “He’s an electrician,” say it with pride. Because without them, nothing works. Literally. Let’s stop asking, “Why don’t you go to college?” and start saying, “Thank you for choosing to build the future.”

#TGIF What do you mean that crying doesn't count?! Credit: IG User kptn.eth #machinist #cnc #metalworking

I Don’t Need Coffee—Confusion and Adrenaline Keep Me Awake! For the past 15 years, I’ve been time-traveling the hard way, no DeLorean, no flux capacitor, just a strategically packed carry-on and an internal clock so broken it should qualify for government aid. This past month alone? U.S. to Taiwan. Taiwan to Switzerland. Switzerland back to the U.S. Next week? At this point, my body has no idea what’s happening anymore. Will I pass out mid-afternoon like an over-excited toddler? Will I wake up at 2 AM convinced it’s noon? Will I stare at the ceiling at 4 AM contemplating my life choices? Answer: Yes to all of the above. Midnight breakfast? Sure. 6 AM dinner? Why not. Somewhere between Taiwan’s dumpling heaven and Switzerland’s precision-engineered chocolate, I stopped trying to time my meals like a normal human and just started treating food as fuel for whatever time zone my stomach is currently in. There’s a special kind of sorcery involved in showing up on camera looking awake when my brain is buffering like an old Windows XP update. I’m answering questions, I’m nodding, I’m making sense (I think?), but inside, my neurons are holding an emergency meeting like, “Bro, what country are we even in right now?” One minute, I’m falling asleep standing up. The next, I have the energy of a caffeinated squirrel. No warning. No logic. Just chaos. Jet Lag is Forever. I have accepted that I will never be in sync with the sun again. My body now runs on Vibes and Hope?. Time is Fake. Who needs clocks? If the sun’s up, it’s time to work. If it’s down…well, it’s probably time to work. But there’s a purpose to the madness… The world doesn’t run without skilled tradespeople, but for too long, we’ve let outdated narratives overshadow the truth. Manufacturing isn’t dark, dirty, or dangerous—it’s high-tech, high-paying, and high-energy. We need the next generation to see that. We need them to feel the excitement, to understand that a career in manufacturing is a path to purpose. Every time I step in front of a camera, walk into a school, or shake hands with someone who’s just discovering this world for the first time, I know that the jet lag, the exhaustion, and the never-ending flights are worth it. I’ve traveled 250+ days a year for 15 years, but I’ve never felt alone. Manufacturing is a global brotherhood and sisterhood, a network of thinkers, builders, and dreamers who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. The friendships forged over factory tours, trade shows, and late-night shop talk erase the fatigue. The smiles of those who see their work recognized for the first time fuel me more than sleep ever could. Because manufacturing matters. Because the next generation deserves to know the opportunities waiting for them. Because every handshake, every smile, and every moment of shared passion makes the jet lag worth it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to figure out what timezone I’m in before my next flight…

A huge thank you to our CapNY Workforce Collaborative for their commitment to shaping the future workforce! Your support in fostering connections, promoting student participation, and engaging the community is invaluable. Together, we’re empowering students to explore career opportunities and imagine their future through Career Jam events in the Capital Region. Capital Region Workforce Development Board Capital Region BOCES Capital Region Chamber Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce @Renssalaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Center for Economic Growth Workforce Development Institute (WDI) Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York, Inc. Questar III BOCES #CareerJam #WorkforceDevelopment #CapNY #Community #Collaboration